Having a member of an IT department responsible for software asset management is vital if businesses are to avoid mistakenly using pirated software or losing track of licences.
Arguing the case for a software compliance officer, co-chair of the Business Software Alliance of Australia (BSAA), Clayton Noble, said while some organisations intentionally used of pirated software and infringed software licences, a lack of organisation and proper record management was resulting in some organisations unintentionally breaching copyright laws.
“Some organisations just have no idea what they are doing and nobody is checking if they are paying for licences,” he said. “Having somebody in an IT department who is responsible for software asset management and centralising the software acquisition function is one of the most basic things that people we come across come to see as important.”
In an effort to curb the unintentional infringing of licences and the use of pirate software, Noble said the BSAA would provide educational tools for companies struggling with software compliance.
“As well as enforcing offences, we also have all sorts of tools and information that’s clearly available for organisations and businesses to make sure you’re compliant with your licences. We have software asset management in place to allow businesses to understand their use of licences,” he said.
As reported by Computerworld Australia the news follows the BSAA's increasing its reward for reporting software piracy from $5,000 to $20,000 during September and October.
The BSA works with around 24 members in Australia, and settled 12 cases locally last year.